Considers how school agendas dominate virtually every aspect of professional theatre for young audiences (TYA) companies. Proves the historical heritages of this ideological dance. Explores the TYA field through perspectives of agency - the implications of the overt activities of the field in the signifying discourses of the field. (SG)

A school district and community endeavor brought a fine arts facility to Byron Center, Michigan. The Van Singel Fine Arts Center includes gallery space as well as a performing arts theater. Private donations purchased pianos and the acoustical shell. Academic results in the classroom include increases in average ACT scores for 5 consecutive years.…

Recounts how a delegation of 23 American theater educators took a two-week tour of Chinese theater companies and schools. Finds that although all theater takes years of training in China, there is little performance by youngsters; and that few professional companies have audience development activities or school performances. Describes traditional…

Presents educational exhibition space/galleries considered outstanding in a competition, which judged the most outstanding learning environments at educational institutions nationwide. Jurors spent two days reviewing projects, highlighting concepts and ideas that made them exceptional. For each citation, the article offers information on the firm,…

Presents a historical, critical story of directing textbooks that aims to identify major shifts in directing pedagogy at mid-century in the United States, when the debates over the goals of theatre education became a catalyst for change. (SG)

Explains the creation of the New Visions/New Voices festival which focuses attention on developing new scripts for young audiences. Notes that unlike other playwriting programs, New Visions does not require a complete script for application. Outlines the selection, casting, rehearsal process, dramaturg involvement, and post-reading discussions of…

Asserts that directors and teachers should understand a script from the points of view of the audience, playwright, and characters. Explains how making notations in a script can help actors find, make and remember choices while acting. Explains a notation system for "scoring" a script. Concludes that teaching students how to score their parts…

Describes the recent trend of establishing theater companies in science museums and zoos. Provides a brief history of science museums. Emphasizes that modern science museums and zoos are interactive. Examines the American Zoo as a model. Presents an overview of two museum theater groups and describes some of the current popular shows at other…

Describes a yearlong project at 12 Catholic middle schools in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, to incorporate the plays of William Shakespeare into the curriculum. Teachers attended university lectures and directed students in performances of the plays. Concludes that Shakespeare can be understood and enjoyed by middle school students. (BCY)

Although experiencing theater through videotape is not equivalent to experiencing live theater, the magic of theater and live instruction was not entirely lost when one off-campus student transferred from classroom to off-campus viewing for a semester. Concentration on graphics became more important, and lighting and sound could be more easily…

This article describes a cooperative program between the Monroe (Wisconsin) theater and arts organizations and a summer school class in which 25 students in grades 4 through 12 interested in the arts dramatized 40 original creative writing works of other students. (DB)

Offers a statement on freedom of artistic expression in educational theater by the American Alliance for Theatre and Education. Deals with issues, responsibility, process, strategies for teachers and directors. Offers a bibliography and two sample process forms (describing procedures for challenging materials and procedures for requesting a…

Investigates whether the same patterns of sexism and gender-typing found in popular and award-winning children's literature exist in 10 award-winning plays for young people. Finds relatively few instances of nine overtly sexist traits in the plays. (SR)

Describes the ongoing work of a teacher whose Summer Institute for Drama/Teacher Education at the University of Tennessee provides training for both theater and classroom teachers. Focuses on her teaching method--improvisational drama--which simultaneously addresses elements common to fiction and script writing, and now contained in the language…

Considers why educators should teach theater arts to kids, what educators want kids to get out of it, and whether the art itself should be subordinated to how it can support other subjects. Argues that both school arts programs and outreach companies should reconnect with their communities. (SR)